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Spinoff: Things you love that everyone should own


Alexigail
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I'm really enjoying the "stuff you got because of the Hive" thread, although it's bad for the budget! What are the things you haven't seen here that everyone should have/ know about?

 

Here are mine:

Silicone Drink lids - keep my coffee hot

 

Cheap but awesome car vacuum - I got this for Christmas and I love it- plugs into the car lighter

 

Craft/ school cart from Sam's

 

5 in 1 kitchen tool - I use this every day

 

Kidphones- I actually use these as often as my kids do- they cancel ambient and very loud noises so you can still hear what's going on. They're much more comfortable that other noise cancelling headphones.

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Ice cream maker. Because homemade ice cream is better than Ben and Jerry's.

 

Apricot tree. Because fresh picked apricots are insanely good. Not to be compared with supermarket or even fruit stand ones, let alone dried ones.

 

Running belt. Because it is as functional as a fanny pack but looks cool.

 

A painting of their favorite place in the whole wide world. 'Hyacinths to feed the soul' and all that.

 

An All Clad Essential pan. Best pan in the universe.

Edited by Carol in Cal.
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I should not look at these threads during 2018.  Now I want a Flip Belt and an adjustable measuring cup.

 

Mine would probably be our Anova Sous Vide cooker.  I thought it was a totally ridiculous purchase when DH bought it and told him I would never use it.  Turns out I love it.  I use it probably twice a week.  I used to buy expensive steak once a year for DH and completely ruin it no matter how I tried to cook it.  Now I can buy much less expensive steak and cook it to perfection and everyone loves it (I used to hate steak largely because I could never get it done correctly).

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Bluetooth speakers and headphones!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01NAJGGA2?aaxitk=Fby.la0fffYbIxn427bKLA&pd_rd_i=B01NAJGGA2&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3428590022&pd_rd_wg=i4z2t&pf_rd_r=MPRH6Q9Z32R03BFCP27H&pf_rd_s=mobile-sx-top-slot&pf_rd_t=9701&pd_rd_w=ZTOFk&pf_rd_i=mpow+bluetooth+headphones&pd_rd_r=31068cb3-7732-4ed4-a40b-2346c40150b7&hsa_cr_id=2397634600201

 

Dimmer switches for overhead lights! We have them in our schoolroom, our bathroom, our bedroom, and my sewing room. Doesn’t add much to the cost of a remodel but it is so nice to be able to customize lighting needs by the day. I read to the little guys in our room and turn lights down but not all the way. No need to turn the lights on fully if someone needs the bathroom at night.

 

The Ringer is fantastic for cleaning cast iron (and other pans too).

 

I looooove my big (slightly beat up) old massive office desk. I have so much room on it.

 

I recently needed more house keys, so I got ones that are my alma mater’s colors/symbol. It makes it so much easier to find the right one on the ring, especially since I’m often handing the keys to the kids to unlock the door while I’m getting out of the car.

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What do you keep in it?

 

For now, just my phone and keys.  I've also had my phone, keys, and an iPod touch in it.  Occasionally a pack of tissues if I'm likely to need one.  There is plenty of additional room for a couple gels, lightweight gloves or hat, etc..  I don't buy into their weird curved water bottles.  If I run long enough to need water, I'll stash a bottle and run a loop around it.  I like it because I absolutely hate bounce.  Hate!  And the belt is totally stable, to the point that I completely forget I'm wearing it, even after coming home and cooling down.  

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OH!  My Lila Rose hair stuff.

The clips hold like crazy but have only curved edges so they don't break my hair.

I use two mini-ones, one on each side, to hold back my hair while it's drying.

I have several that are size XS, perfect for pinning back the top of my hair while letting the rest flow down the back.

And I have a few that are size small or medium, for holding up all of it.

 

The U pins hold updos so well that I can jog and they don't shake free.

 

I am totally hooked.

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Would a flip belt work well for everyday wear under clothes for a young girl teen who needs to keep epipen and inhaler near?

 

My dd used hers to carry her insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor (it's about the size of a very small phone). It worked great! I would think it would fit an epipen and inhaler easily. :)

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I also think everyone should own a well-seasoned cast iron skillet and a chain mail scrubber to clean it with. Can't live without that.

  

 

Two good knives.

The pan and knives. And a Le Creuset casserole pot if budget allows.

 

I just got the newest Thermapen, after years of thinking I did not need such an expensive food thermometer. I love it!

 

We have these placemats in multiple colors, got them a a discount store for about half price. And cloth napkins, budget style. Both are super easy care and give me immense pleasure -- I use them every day for simple kitchen meals. If I slave over a hot stove, I want a respectable table, lol.

 

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/martini-round-placemat/3166285?Keyword=place%20mats

 

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/20-x-20-white-hemmed-polyspun-cloth-napkin-12-pack/271NCM2020WH.html

 

And adding:

 

Big bath sheets

Wicking, padded socks, not thin cotton ones

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Everyone should own this Bluetooth speaker my husband got me for Christmas. I paired it with my iPhone and play music using Pandora through my phone to the speaker. I LOVE this thing. It has great quality sound, no kidding. For the price, you can't beat it. It stays in the kitchen mostly, and I use while I'm cooking and cleaning. I have the blue one.

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Anker-SoundCore-Portable-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B01MTB55WH/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1515694549&sr=8-2&keywords=anker+soundcore+speaker

 

I use my Anker portable charger all the time and love it! They were stocking stuffers for everyone a couple of years ago and they're still going strong. 

Edited by wilrunner
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My zojirushi water boiler:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0166OD6PO/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1515730564&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=zojirushi+water+boiler&dpPl=1&dpID=418-daaWT3L&ref=plSrch

 

It’s been in continuous use at my home for over a decade.

 

I also love that we replaced our front door key lock with a code lock.

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It's cold here.  You can tell because I'm only recommending warm stuff, lol.


Torani coffee syrup - particularly hazlenut
Darn Tough socks
Banana Republic mens sweater with a shawl collar one size too big (found one at Goodwill today and I'm in LOVE. I'm a terrible sweater snob but since I only shop consigment finding the perfect sweater for under $10 is challenging and rewarding.)
Electric throw blanket

I'm not really a "stuff" person so all my have-to-owns are necessities upgraded, lol.

 

Now, in the spring?  Everything I "must have" is alive. :D

Edited by BlsdMama
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Ooooh, I forgot about my heated mattress pad. It’s amazing! I should sell these. It has dual zones and my husband has never turned his side on. It doesn’t shift like a blanket and it feels great on my sore middle-aged back at night. It also has a preheat feature to quickly break the chill on the sheets (I tried flannel once. Dh AND the kids freaked out because it made them too hot.)

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Diva cup.

 

After something like 3 years I still can't believe what a game changer this has been. I swear I have PTSD from using the other stuff. Every month (well, 3 weeks) I remember that oh yeah, this isn't such a Big F Deal anymore.

Edited by MEmama
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Ooooh, I forgot about my heated mattress pad. It’s amazing! I should sell these. It has dual zones and my husband has never turned his side on. It doesn’t shift like a blanket and it feels great on my sore middle-aged back at night. It also has a preheat feature to quickly break the chill on the sheets (I tried flannel once. Dh AND the kids freaked out because it made them too hot.)

 

This is definitely my favorite thing ever this time of year.  Our bedroom doesn't have a heat vent because it was an add-on, plus non insulated windows and poorly insulated walls and it is COLD.  That mattress pad is heaven!  Ours is dual-zoned so I can have mine on nice and toasty and dh can have his side turned off.  The preheat option is amazing.

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My GE gas stove with center griddle. I LOVE that griddle. It is super easy to clean. NOTHING sticks to it, not even eggs, and it is awesome for omelets, grilled sandwiches, pancakes, sauteing veggies, etc.

 

I use that center griddle way more than we ever do the burners.

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I also think everyone should own a well-seasoned cast iron skillet and a chain mail scrubber to clean it with. Can't live without that.

 

 

I was also thinking the thing I can't live without is my cast iron skillet.  I've had it for 35yrs. 

 

If you're a tea drinking an electric tea kettle is a must.  I use mine several times a day.

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Would a flip belt work well for everyday wear under clothes for a young girl teen who needs to keep epipen and inhaler near?

 

 

Sorry, just seeing this now.  They would definitely fit, she would have to figure out which position is the most comfortable for each item.  Epi pen would probably have to go across the back or font, due to length.  I would get the zipper model just because the epipen is long and skinny, so more likely to work its way out.  Something like an inhaler with its L shape or a phone which is wider, stay quite secure even in the no-zipper model.  

 

The flip belts look totally cool.  If they peek out, they just look like a layer of clothing and not at all like a "tool belt" or fanny pack or anything like that.  

 

 

 

......

 

I thought of another product that was life-changing for me.  Diva cup.   :leaving:  You do NOT want to be the person stuck next to me when I run out of chit-chat, because the conversation will inevitably work its way around to why diva cups are awesome.   :lol:

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A Rat Zapper.  I love these things.  I have 2 and keep them loaded in the dungeon under this cabin.  Whenever I get a mouse, I make a tally mark with a permanent marker on the top of the Zapper.  I'm up in the 20's now on one of them.  :)  When I go down there to wash a load of clothes, and I see that light flashing, it just makes my day.  lol  I guess that's the city version of huntin'.  ;)

 

I need to just bite the bullet on these. They've been in the wish list since I first read about them here -- need to take action against the mice. My new "walk the plank" style trap has not been successful yet, of course, finding the cat standing next to it every morning is probably not helping.

 

 

 

An electric kettle. Instant pot. Oh! I have one. I don’t can, but I did get a canning funnel. I use it for so many things and it keeps the sides of the jars and thermoses clean. I love it!

 

I use my canning funnels all the time - I store a lot of leftovers in jars and love having neat edges. Also nice when straining something too. 

 

 

 

Ooooh, I forgot about my heated mattress pad. It’s amazing! I should sell these. It has dual zones and my husband has never turned his side on. It doesn’t shift like a blanket and it feels great on my sore middle-aged back at night. It also has a preheat feature to quickly break the chill on the sheets (I tried flannel once. Dh AND the kids freaked out because it made them too hot.)

 

I've loved these for year, much better than an electric blanket and always helpful to be able to set my own temp as compared to dh. 

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Cats and ponies - or a backpack and passport.

 

I've got the rest of my ponies for sale now due to my health and our lives changing, but I told hubby I can't imagine ever living without cats - unless we can replace them with a backpack to go with our passport (start living on the road 24/7 just wandering and exploring).

 

I can't really think of anything else that's a must have in my life - aside from basic clothes, shoes, hiking boots, etc.  I can "make do" with almost anything when it comes to fixing meals or doing things.

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I'm really enjoying the "stuff you got because of the Hive" thread, although it's bad for the budget! What are the things you haven't seen here that everyone should have/ know about?

 

Here are mine:

Silicone Drink lids - keep my coffee hot

 

Cheap but awesome car vacuum - I got this for Christmas and I love it- plugs into the car lighter

 

Craft/ school cart from Sam's

 

5 in 1 kitchen tool - I use this every day

 

Kidphones- I actually use these as often as my kids do- they cancel ambient and very loud noises so you can still hear what's going on. They're much more comfortable that other noise cancelling headphones.

 

I love that 5 in 1 kitchen tool and it has gone on our list.

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My GE gas stove with center griddle. I LOVE that griddle. It is super easy to clean. NOTHING sticks to it, not even eggs, and it is awesome for omelets, grilled sandwiches, pancakes, sauteing veggies, etc.

 

I use that center griddle way more than we ever do the burners.

 

I have a gas stove with a centre griddle, but I've never used it! Time to dig it out - clearly I had no idea what I was missing.

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Ok, going to play.

 

Not necessarily recommended here, that I can’t live without:

 

Our “art cart†from Ikea.

 

Espresso maker that’s extremely easy to use (keeps me functional through the school day).

 

Smarty Pants gummy vitamins for the picky eater

 

An excellent vacuum. I didn’t realize what we were missing till we had a good one. Wow.

 

A bathtub big tub bough to really use.

 

Exercise equipment in the house. I actually use it!

 

Furniture that also has storage. We use Home Reserve for our sofa, I think Sparkly mentioned it, so it was sort of recommended here. We bought it because we have a dog that has eaten one sofa, and if she eats part of this one - it can be replaced piece by piece. I didn’t expect to enjoy the storage aspect so much, but each kid has a bin for school. Love it.

 

A blower for the yard, that has a rechargeable battery. Oh man, I love that thing. I use it for the deck, and our paths in the yard, the porch and walkway out front.

 

A vacuum wine sealer.

 

The delay function on our DW.

 

The kindle app on my phone.

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Oh wait, I can think of something besides ponies and cats or a backpack and passport.

 

My DVR.  I can't watch TV without it - the ability to skip commercials, tape and watch things on my own time, backing something up when I missed the conversation, or whatever.  I could live without TV itself, but if I'm going to watch TV, it MUST be through the DVR.  We even pause live things (like the news) in order to be able to skip commercials.  Except for BBC news, that is.  They are nice enough not to put commercials in theirs.  And they cover actual World news.  But... most shows aren't like that and I detest commercials plus occasionally need to back something up because I didn't catch it.  So yes, I need my DVR and highly recommend them.  (Even streaming from the computer often comes with commercials IME.)

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Half sheet and 3/4 sheet baking sheets. I don't use them tons but our oven won't fit 2 regular pans side by side so when I need to make big batches, the bigger ones are super useful.

 

Jogger stroller or other all-terrain stroller...I don't jog but do walk a lot over varied terrain.

 

MeLuna menstrual cup...diva cups were uncomfortable but these are much softer. So.much.better than any alternatives.

 

Yoga Tune Up self-massage balls and a silicon cone-shaped self-massage thing...I use these daily and they help so much with chronic neck/shoulder/back/hip pain.

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The things I love are generally not universally applicable.

 

If you sell a lot of small items online, a Dymo 4XL is indispensable.  As far as specific products other than that - nah, I got nothing.  We really love Lukeion as a course provider, if that counts.  

 

 

I do have a SSC baby carrier - mine is a Kanga, someone else's custom (so I am the second owner, or maybe the 3rd).  I've owned probably 6 or 7 different brands of SSCs, from basic to fancy, and I like the Kanga the best by far, but a lot of that is personal fit, I think, so not really universally applicable.  I guess I'd say if you are about 5' 3" and about 125-135lb and sort of squishy in the middle, the Kanga is a good SSC option for you :)

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